Aosta

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Overview

Jagged Alpine peaks rise like marble cathedrals above the regional capital Aosta, a once-important Roman settlement that retains a charming historic centre, while also sprawling rather untidily across the valley floor. Bounced around between Burgundy (France) and Savoy (Italy) in the Middle Ages, the modern town remains bilingual, with a Valdostan culture that can be heard in its musical local dialect and simple but hearty cuisine.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Chiesa di Sant'Orso

Aosta

This intriguing church is part of a still-operating monastery. The church dates back to the 10th century but was altered on several occasions, notably in…
Cattedrale Santa Maria Assunta

Aosta

The neoclassical facade of Aosta's cathedral belies the impressive Gothic interior. Inside, the carved 15th-century walnut-wood choir stalls are…
Basilica Paleocristiana di San Lorenzo

Aosta

Beneath the old parish church of the village, you can glimpse the dusty layers of early Christian history. Excavations have revealed a small cruciform…
Museo Archeologico Regionale

Aosta

Aosta’s little city museum does an excellent job of detailing the city’s Roman history with a scale model of Aosta’s Roman layout plus various…
Torre dei Fromage

Aosta

Next to the Porta Praetoria, this imposing tower is named not for the love of French cheese (fromage) but rather after the last descendent of the medieval…
Criptoportico Forense

Aosta

What remains of the city's Augustan forum mostly lies beneath the 'modern' piazza, although you can visit its colonnaded underground walkway (known as a…
Roman Bridge

Aosta

This arched, cobbled Roman bridge, also know as the Pont de Pierre, crossed the River Buthier in the first century AD, but today it's high and dry (though…
Teatro Romano

Aosta

Part of the Roman theatre's 22m-high facade is still intact. In summer, performances are held in the better-preserved lower section.